The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-27
SHAKESPEARE A MYTH.

An English Writer Demonstrates that the
Divine William Was Solar Myth.
London Special to New York Herald.
The prominent Christmas gift OF the London
public unquestionably is what may be called a
literary bon bon in the shape of Sbakspearian
travesty of the Ignatius Donnelly cipher. 1t is
evident this bon bon is from j. +. Row botham,
a London critic. He begins by denying that
there is any exrart proof that man named
Shakespeare ever lived. He then puts forth
the center of his bon bon this query: How
then did the idea of Shakspeare arise in the
English mind? The answer is plain. Shake
speare is a solar myth. He is personiication
of the sun, that great luminary of the universe,
which has been the object of mans worship and
the fountain of mans legend since the beginning
of time, appearing in tho mythology of past ages
as Hercules, Orpheus, Apollo Samson, and in
more recent years under more beautiful allegory
as Shakespeare Let us remark the unmistaka-
BILE evidence afforded by the name, which is
this second is sign for Eta. meaning Far
darter. and is clearly epithet for the sun god
who, as he flashed his rays of light to earth,
was pictured to the poetical maginations of our
untutored ancestors as a mighty warrior, who
darted his arrows or shook his spears
Examine this name little more closely. for
under it lies a MYSTERY of mysteries. The word
Shakespeare in this is the old spelling and
tains exactly twelve letters Is not the infer
ence from this plain enougha These twelve let
ters are the twelve months which make up the
suns annual revolution, while they at the
same time the twelve signs of the zodiac. In
keeping with this ia the fact that the full name
a name which consists OF four sylables and
therefore embematical Of tho four seasons.
The tale OF his life we shall find marvellous
and cunningy constructed allegory, full Of
poetry and beauty. He is said to have been
born the Goth Of March. How appropriate!
For it is the time OF the vernal equinox, when
all nature has its annual birth His birth, Justly
placed, being in the reign of Elizabeth. the
Virgin Queen, there is plain allnsion to Virgin
in the signs OF the zodiac 1t is made to occur
in 1864. the seventh year of Elzabeths reign
Now, allowed in the Interpretation, all
legends. biblical and others. to interchange
year and day there can be no reasonable doubt
that the seventh year here spoken of is the
seventh day, which is Sunday, or the day Of the
sun.
'Thus far, then, we found fabls'man named
Shakespeare, born on the Goth of March, in the
seventh year of Elizabeth's reign, which means
really that the sun god, Ekatabolos, the Far
darter or Spear-shaker. begins his annual life
Virgin and on the day dedicated TO his honor,
Sunday. Then continue the early years OF
Shakespeare, involved in darkness. which is q
way with all solsr myths, and we hear absolutely
nothing of him until find him coming into
colision with certain Sir Thomas Lucy
Here the Interpretation is easy, for Lucy is
evidently corruption of the Latin lux lucis-
light. The fable of Shakespeare stealing deer
from Lucy is poetical way of saying that the
sun, the Spear-shaker. RODS the light of its rays
and decorates himself with the spos. How
truly beautiful is the next episode in the legend
The mounting above the horizon and ten
Derby keeping watch over this globe of ours is
ception Of Shakespeare mounting above foot
lights and becoming manager OF the Globe
Theater. During his management the Globe is
reduced to ashes, which is evidently an inn
perfect version of the story of Phaeton inter-
polated by some laters hand. AS the sun rises
in the east and sets in the west, so in the legend
is Shakespeare made to rise to fame in London,
the east of England, and at the East End, and
settle down to die In Stratford which. compared
with London. is undoubtedly the west.
FINALLY, the suns annual life Is brought to
its end in fifty two weeks, does Shakespeare,
ffty-two years, substituting the week for the
year. The parallel is complete to how the
connection originated between the alegorcal
sun-god and the plays that bear his name.
There three hypothesis possible; the first
that the plays were in existence before the alo-
CORY had become crystallized into its present
shape and were dedicated TO the sun god under
his cognomep, the Spear-shaker. The second is
that they were written by the priests of the
god, and third. that they were the direct pro-
auctions of the sun god himself. This last view
is broadly limited at in one of the plays them
selves where the following mysterious sentence
is found: If the Sun ever writes u book critics
will have plenty of work in deciphering it, The
fool then: 'Knaves may find employment But
many other reasons besides 60 to support the
theory. for other superstition
count for the repeated references-230 in num-
ber-to sun alone.
.'various solar, stellar and meteorological
phenomenal illusions to day. to night, heat,
cold, rain. snow, stars, moon, sky and clouds oc-
cur over and over again; four seasons are con-
tinually mentioned and two leading ones. sum
mer and winter, have two whole plays de6i-
Gated 10 their service-'A Midsummer Nights
Dream and "A Winters Tale The signs of the
zodiac enact still more illustrious role The
sign twins palpably the foundation Of the
Comedy OF Errors The sign of the scales